Aim: Therapeutic approaches used on pediatric oncology patients often cause disturbances in dental development. The aim of this study was to present the effects of radiation and chemotherapy on dental development in patients treated for cancer at an early age. Materials & Methods: Medical records of 207 pediatric oncology patients who visited Dentistry Department at Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital from 2011 to 2015 have been reviewed. Panoramic and standard periapical radiographs were examined to identify any abnormality. Result: Among total of 93 oncology patients who met the inclusion criteria, root deformity was seen in 29 (31.2%), and microdontia was seen in 27 (29.0%). Delayed tooth eruption was seen in 20 (21.5%), and hypodontia was seen in 14 (15.1%) children. In a group started treatment before age of 6, significantly higher incidences of hypodontia and microdontia were observed whereas treatment duration for longer than 18 months showed greater numbers of hypodontia, microdontia, root deformity, and total incidence of dental abnormality. Conclusion: Radiation and chemotherapy on children treated for cancer can adversely influence dental development. In this study, more dental abnormality were seen when patients were in the treatment protocol at an earlier age, were treated with both chemo and radiotherapy, and received treatment for a longer duration of time.

Biography

Yong Jin Lee has graduated in 2009 from the University of North Alabama in the United States. He completed his Master's Degree in Dentistry in 2014 and is currently in Doctorate program at the School of Dentistry in Chonnam National University, South Korea. He thinks of children not only as beings to care for and give learning to but also as someone to learn something from.